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I'm fairly new to the game and am trying to get better as Zerg. From watching some replays of higher level players, I often see Zerg players spreading creep like crazy as fast as they can.

My question is, what exactly are the things that creep affects?

I know that Zerg units walk faster on creep, but are there other benefits?

Things like:

  • non-Zerg walk slower
  • Faster health regeneration for Zerg
  • Damage bonusses for Zerg

So can anyone shed some light?

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  • 2
    While it may seem a trivial distinction, to me the most important part of creep spreading is really the "creep tumor" spreading, as the tumors give you vision. – Peter Recore Sep 17 '10 at 18:15
  • terran and protoss buildings can't be built on creep as well. – jacen.garriss Aug 27 '13 at 15:49
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Just Zerg movement.

Zerg (ground) units move about 30% faster on creep (notable exceptions being: Queen, Hydralisk and Drones).

Additionally Zerg can build on creep and non-Zerg structures cannot be built on creep. You can actually use an Overlord to spread creep at a number of expansions to slow down your opponent's expansion rate. Zerg structures off creep will slowly lose life and eventually die.

The following units/buildings can produce creep:

  • Hatchery
  • Creep Tumor (built from the Queen and other Creep Tumors)
  • Overlord (Overseers Cannot, additionally this is temporary)
  • Nydus Worm (the Worm, not the Network)

Creep will evaporate if left without a production source near by. Its important to note that creep evaporates from the edge inward. As a result, if you remove creep production in an area that is not covered by, but is surrounded by, creep production, the creep will not evaporate.

Since people asked the following units are affected by creep in different ways:

  • Queen: 170%
  • Hydralisk: 50%
  • Drone: 0%
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  • Something I've been curious about with regards to the movespeed bonus - does it affect flying units too? Nobody makes mention of it, so I've always been curious. And for the second one, does that "expansion slow down" backfire against a Zerg opponent? – Grace Note♦ Sep 17 '10 at 17:12
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    No, it doesn't affect flying units. – LessPop_MoreFizz Sep 17 '10 at 17:13
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    Rather than moving 30% faster on creep, the Queen moves much slower off creep. – WillfulWizard Sep 17 '10 at 17:24
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    @WillfulWizard that's a matter of perspective. – tzenes Sep 17 '10 at 17:27
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    If an Overlord is dropping creep at an expansion, you can indeed plant crawlers right away instead of waiting for the creep that comes when the Hatch finishes. I do this for vulnerable expansions. Dropping creep to slow enemy expansions works well (for non-Zerg opponents). – Wikwocket Sep 17 '10 at 17:58
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The one other affect of creep I know (beyond tzene's answer) is that Zerg buildings will lose health and eventually die if they are off creep. For example if a Hatchery is destroyed, the creep will start to disappear, and eventually other buildings there will die.

I believe Spine Crawlers and Spore Crawlers lose health when they are uprooted if they are not on creep as well.

The buildings that can be built off creep and survive without it are Hatcheries and Nydus Worm exits (which both generate creep) and Vespene Extractors.

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Your units move faster on creep. Additionally, buildings placed off of creep will die. Moving faster is a huge advantage, and is absolutely worth covering anywhere you need to move units quickly with creep for.

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Other races can not place buildings on creep.

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Additionally to keeping buildings alive and increasing movement speed of units, creep tumors give you vision. This is a huge advantage since it makes it much harder for your enemy to surprise you with an attack.

If you see where the enemy army moves around on the map it gives you more time to react and get your troops in place to defend.

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